Harbhajan Singh

An elegant batsman who evokes memories of the young Azharuddin, Mohammad Kaif comes from the cricketing backwater of Uttar Pradesh.

Full name:

Harbhajan Singh

Born: July 3, 1980, Jullundur (now Jalandhar), Punjab

Current age: 26 years 102 days

Major teams :India, Punjab, Surrey

Batting style :Right-hand bat

Bowling style :Right-arm offbreak

Statsguru Test player, ODI player

Batting and fielding averages

class

mat

inns

no

runs

hs

ave

bf

sr

100

50

4s

6s

ct

st

Tests

57

79

18

986

66

16.16

1451

67.95

0

2

142

16

30

0

ODIs

134

67

19

641

46

13.35

782

81.96

0

0

55

16

39

0

First-class

112

147

33

2210

84

19.38

0

6

57

0

List A

175

94

26

912

46

13.41

0

0

58

0

Twenty20

8

3

1

11

6

5.50

12

91.66

0

0

2

0

Bowling averages

class

mat

balls

runs

wkts

bbi

bbm

ave

econ

sr

4

5

10

Tests

57

15162

7108

238

8/84

15/217

29.86

2.81

63.70

5

19

4

ODIs

134

7201

4919

160

5/31

5/31

30.74

4.09

45.00

2

2

0

First-class

112

27039

12773

467

8/84

27.35

2.83

57.89

30

5

List A

175

9251

6313

213

5/31

5/31

29.63

4.09

43.43

4

2

0

Twenty20

8

138

152

4

2/22

2/22

38.00

6.60

34.50

0

0

0

Career statistics

Statsguru Tests filter | Statsguru One-Day Internationals filter

Test debut

India v Australia at Bangalore - Mar 25-28, 1998 scorecard

Last Test

West Indies v India at Kingston - Jun 30-Jul 2, 2006 scorecard

ODI debut

India v New Zealand at Sharjah - Apr 17, 1998 scorecard

Last ODI

Australia v India at Kuala Lumpur - Sep 22, 2006 scorecard

First-class span

1997/98 - 2006

List A span

1997/98 - 2006/07

Twenty20 span

2005

Profile

Wisden overview

A player of passion, with talent to match, Harbhajan Singh is India's most successful offspin bowler. Bowling with a windmilling, whiplash action, remodelled after he was reported for throwing, he exercises great command over the ball, has the ability to vary his length and pace, and can turn it the other way too. His main wicket-taking ball, however, is the one that climbs wickedly on the unsuspecting batsman from a good length, forcing him to alter his stroke at the last second. In March 2001, it proved too much for the all-conquering Australians, as Harbhajan collected 32 wickets in three Tests, including the first Test hat-trick by an Indian, while none of his team-mates managed more than three. He has never quite managed to reach those heights again, but he remains an irresistible force on home pitches where he can be unplayable once he manages an opening. Purists might mutter about a lack of loop and flight, but he is very much a product of his times where short boundaries and heavy bats afford little latitude to slow bowlers. His overseas record, despite two five-fors against West Indies in India's last tour there in 2006, remains a worry: he averages nearly 40 per wicket outside India, while at home he averages just over 25. He can be occasionally explosive with the bat and has scored nearly 1000 runs. At 26, he remains the prime candidate to carry on India's rich legacy in spin after the the retirement of Anil Kumble.